[Uml-devel] Future features

[tomas.walch at se.transport.bombardier.com]

Hi!

I have now been browsing around a bit in the umbrello code and also started to
use the program for 'real' professional purposes. This has led me to some ideas
and suggestions that I thougt best to discuss a little and not just add to the
tracking system (good move by the way):

1. File format and large projects
The move to XMI was certainly good, but the current file format still has one
great disadvantage: it saves everything in just one file. This makes it hard to
use umbrello for larger scale projects involving more than one developer.
Essential for these kinds of projects is the possibility for different people to
similtaneously work on different parts of a model, and to easily merge this work
(using a cm tool or not). Merging the whole model all the time and keeping the
versions in order would be hard enough to make project managers decide on
another tool.

My suggested solutions is this:
- Visualization info is saved into a separate file for each diagram
- Model data info is saved in a separate file for each package
- A project file is used to keep track of the included files. (like so many
IDE:s)

Other features that would go nicely with this to enable large scale development
is of course a package symbol for the class/concept diagram and a tree structure
in the listview where classes are sorted under there respective packages
(replacing or complementing todays folder items).


2. Interface
I think a MDI interface would look nicer and more professional, with the
listview as a dockwindow. The documentation window could be replaced with a
tabbed dockwindow providing fast access to all the properties of the selected
item. I think one needs too much right clicking today.


Well that'll have to do for now...

regards,
Tomas Walch.